A mammography examination is a medical procedure for examining a patient's breasts for cancer or other internal conditions. Mammography examinations can be used, for example, to search for tumors or to discern between non-cancerous (benign) and cancerous (malignant) tissues. Mammography examinations are regularly recommended for women over the age of 40, and, when used in concert with self-examinations and physicians' examinations, a mammography examination can be an essential element of a woman's regular care later in life. Early detection through the use of mammography has been shown to reduce mortality rates associated with breast cancer.
During a typical mammography examination, a patient's breasts are positioned within a machine and exposed to a low dose of radiation. The patient's breasts are placed one at a time onto an imaging receptor plate, typically called a “bucky,” and pressed substantially flat with the use of a compression device. Radiographic images of the breasts are then recorded and developed as individual photographs, or transferred to a computer for viewing. A doctor, nurse or other medical technician then analyzes the images and assesses the condition of the tissues identified therein.
Although painless, the mammography procedure can be uncomfortable for a patient, for a number of different reasons. A typical bucky contains an X-ray film cassette or digital imaging equipment and is made of metal or hard plastic, which is usually at room temperature when the mammography procedure is commenced. Because room temperature can be thirty to forty degrees cooler than a patient's normal body temperature, the initial contact between the top and front of the bucky and a patient's bare breast or inframammary fold can feel extremely cold. Additionally, the bucky itself defines hard and smooth skin-contacting surfaces that can be uncomfortable to the touch and/or do not promote a feeling of comfort when touched. Further, whether for screening or for diagnosis, a mammography examination can create anxiety in patients, as the procedure requires a patient to disrobe before a technician and to place body parts into a medical device.
A variety of methods and devices has been utilized to ease the discomfort experienced by patients during mammography procedures, but have achieved only limited success. For example, foam padding has been applied to bucky surfaces in an effort to soften them. Although foam can insulate the patient from the temperature of the bucky, foam also can be uncomfortable for the patient, as it tends to stick to a patient's skin and can give the patient a “wetsuit” feeling. This effect can be particularly problematic if the patient perspires during the procedure. Although foam is compressible, foam pads may not reduce the compressive forces associated with placing patients' breasts into mammography devices to levels that are sufficient to outweigh their drawbacks. Further, mammography images are most accurate when the breast is as flat as possible, and therefore if the foam is too thick, it can give rise to distortions in the resulting mammography image.
Yet another drawback of the prior art is that some bucky covers require sterilization of the covers between uses. Other drawbacks of prior art bucky covers is that they can leave adhesive on the bucky surfaces when they are removed which, in turn, requires a technician or other personnel to clean the bucky surfaces of such adhesive residue.